


Fake somebody

by livinginadaydream (orphan_account)



Category: Disney RPF, Jonas Brothers
Genre: Angst, Incest, M/M, Multi, Pre-Slash, The Talented Mr. Ripley AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-03-10
Updated: 2010-03-10
Packaged: 2017-10-10 19:12:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/103199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/livinginadaydream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: The Talented Mr. Ripley without, uh, all the killing. Something about champagne, fancy clothes, Italian beaches, loose morals, yachting, being rich.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fake somebody

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blackwayfarers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackwayfarers/gifts).



Joe has Nick's loose fist in his hand over the beige sand, eyes closed against the sun.

"Nick Jonas?" has both of them opening their eyes, pulling their arms back to their sides. Nick tucks his in between his thigh and the arm of the lounge chair, putting his palm down to push himself up. He peeks one eye open to see who this person is. American accents might mean whoever this is knows that Nick and Joe are brothers, and though the voice didn't address Joe, he's already uncomfortable with being recognized.

Once he gets passed the glare of the sun and takes apart the man standing in front of him, he shakes his head a little. "Sorry, do I know you?" he asks, voice gravelly from having been near asleep.

Laughing, the man slowly toweling off his shoulders steps closer, hand out. "David. We were at Princeton together." Nick quirks an eyebrow just slightly and throws his legs over the side of his chair so that he can sit up and take a better look. Joe's looking between them and because no one at school knew much other than his family was wealthy like every other student's family, he reaches the short space across and puts his hand on Joe's thigh.

Finally, he makes a decision and hums in the back of his throat, then smiles as much as he does for any other stranger. "To be honest, I don't remember much." A small smirk is on his lips then, and when David, yeah, David's what he said, laughs and drags the towel over his forearm, dropping the hand he'd held out for an un-granted shake, Nick leans back in his chair and laughs a little, too. Joe clears his throat after Nick's hand slides up his leg and twines their fingers. Nick tosses him a curious look but Joe just rolls his eyes.

"I'm Joe." David lets the towel drop to his side and holds out his hand once more. Joe actually shakes it and David nods in appreciation, taking in the easy smile Joe gives him, one that seems more genuine. He doesn't mind, though, that Nick is less friendly; it's okay with him if this is a challenge. He's in Italy of all places, and if he has to spend more time here, that's fine. That's just fine. "So what brings you here?" Joe's hand hovers above his eyes, blocking out the sun so he can see David, and while Nick is listening closely, his eyes are closed again, fingers gripped tight against Joe's. This has his older brother smiling; he's rarely away from the villa, but when he is, sometimes women, and maybe a few men look at him, and Nick never fails to become posessive.

Sometimes Nick's eyes wander, he knows. There's a girl, Selena, who works at the market where they shop, but Joe knows that Nick would never... They spent three years apart while Nick attended University and Joe worked with their older brother, Kevin at the ship yard his father owns. Nick got it out of his system then, when it was about drinking, living and not having to be perfect like he always thinks he needs to be in front of everyone who knows him. It was the first time Nick had been two steps away from their parents, and Joe knows what happened while Nick was there - he thinks he knows.

Nick won't talk about it, but Joe knows his little brother, and the fact that Nick got kicked out doesn't put a damper on the imagination. But Nick is through with that now, and Joe was often quiet, but he'd rebelled against his dad enough times growing up, gotten the belt enough that he never had to host a huge rebellion himself; he won't ever. But still, Nick is needlessly nervous when it comes to the looks his older brother gets. Mostly it just amuses Joe, makes him feel warm and full. Nick loves him, no matter what Selena or any of the other girls think, any of the other people who witness Nick pulling his arm off of Joe's shoulder.

Some might say Nick is just greedy and selfish, that he's fucking people behind Joe's back, but they don't see him when they're alone, when Nick won't stop ducking his head, smiling when Joe gives him a soft kiss to his lips, when Nick cards his fingers through Joe's hair, and kisses him deep, tasting the wine on both their tongues, crooning softly in Joe's ear until he falls asleep to wake up with Nick's chest against his back and an arm around his waist.

Joe knows. Nick doesn't love anybody like he loves him, and even if Nick did stray, he'd always come back. Nick is Joe's, and he's never worried he might lose him. So Joe squeezes Nick's hand in his, but loosens his grip a second later, because even though David keeps looking at Nick like he's some kind of project, Joe doesn't mind.

David licks his lips before answering, tasting salt from the ocean he barely took a dip in. He can feel it drying to his skin, but he's focused. "Well, just visiting."

There's a scoff from Nick, and David smiles, unsure. "You are not visiting..." Smile faltering on David's face, he means to ask what Nick is inferring, but then he sits up in his chair again and opens both eyes, a much easier smile on his face now, charming, "_No one_ is just visiting." Exhaling, feeling his muscles relax, David smiles back and nods again.

"Sure, well... I guess I'll be going then." Nick waves him off fairly easy, and David hesitates before taking a couple steps forward, stopping when he hears Joe's voice.

"Wait. Wait, Nick, David should come have lunch with us." To be polite, David looks away for a moment, not missing the look Nick gives his brother - David was sent to bring Kevin's two sons home, but he'll let them think otherwise.

It's obvious Nick isn't fond of the idea, and he can hear him whispering to Joe, tone off. Joe whispers back and David's grateful, thinks he's going to like both of them very much, which is why it's so unfortunate he has to lie to them. After a few more seconds, David smirks, because Joe tells him cheerfully, "We'll be glad to have you come join us. Are you busy?"

Turning, David turns his smirk into an almost-shy smile, and shrugs. "Not really, but I don't want to be any trouble."

"None at all. Nick isn't supposed to be in the sun this long anyway. He gets so red." Nick gives Joe a glare that softens when Joe sits up and stands, hand removed from Nick's and settled gently in his younger brother's curls, stroking habitually. "So you'll come?" Joe asks, after sharing a glance with Nick, smile wide and even more friendly than before. He, apparently, warms up to people very fast. It makes David's job so much easier.

"If it's okay with both of you?" David gives what's meant to be a respectful, hopeful look to Nick and Nick smiles, charming again, and nods. It's also a fake smile, David realizes then. "I really appreciate it," David says looking down at the towel he's bunching up in his hands, moving his head into an angle, and one eyebrow going up like he just can't believe his luck, then gives an awkward glance up the walk, silently asking if they're leaving now.

Joe pulls Nick up and Nick settles an arm around Joe's waist. They walk around him and ahead of him, leading the way, and he takes a moment to study both of them from the back now, the way Nick walks more stiffly than Joe, the way Joe's hip brushes against Nick's every other step, the way Joe's thumb plays with the curl just behind Nick's far ear, arm across Nick's back, before he actually follows them, pace kicking up to catch up to them.

When Nick climbs on his Vespa, his loafers on his feet, Joe climbs behind him and locks his hands across Nick's stomach, giving something of an apologetic look to David.

"You know, I'm gonna go grab some clothes," David says, so that Joe doesn't have to feel bad about making David walk while they sit comfortably on a scooter. He looks down at himself, the wet, very small bathing suit he has on, and gives his best effort to make himself blush when he looks up and catches Nick's eye just after seeing his eyes angled to the same area David had been looking in. Nick clears his throat though, as if he'd been just sitting there, waiting for David to say something more relevant to _him_.

"Oh, okay. We're just up the road here. Around the curve, the first house on your right." David nods, and turns to walk off. "Oh, David?" He throws a look back, face soft, "Just head to the back, that's where we have lunch. See you, okay?" David hasn't had a girlfriend since high school, and she barely made it two months with him; she was his best friend. He's good at pretending to be someone else, really good (he should be, he's been pretending since he graduated - the only time he lets himself be _just him_, is when he's playing the piano), but when he's trying to be himself, he's awkward, practically anti-social, completely inept.

He feels like Joe can see through this character he's made up, and he thinks, maybe he made this one too much like himself, whoever that is, and his cheeks genuinely blush at the care Joe is taking to make sure David knows he's welcome.

He wanted to be seen as harmless, not weak, however, so he clears his throat and gives a wave that just says, 'Go ahead, get out of here.' And Joe eyes him before kicking softly at the back of Nick's leg. The vespa's engine roars and then they're wheeling up the hill.


End file.
